Amaravati: The women leaders of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), who were left out by the party in the candidates list for the upcoming state polls, have said they were betrayed by the party chief Chandrababu Naidu. Despite claiming to encourage women in politics and respect them, Naidu has insulted and humiliated many long-serving female TDP workers by denying them tickets for the upcoming elections.

Former minister Peetala Sujatha, who played a key role in the previous TDP government, was sidelined in a humiliating manner. She alleges she was insulted and denied the Chintalapudi assembly seat because she is a Dalit woman, while leaders like Chintamaneni Prabhakar and Maganti Babu were given preference over her.

Another prominent leader, former union minister Panabaka Lakshmi, has been shown the door by Naidu. She unsuccessfully contested 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Tirupati as a TDP candidate against Balli Durga Prasad Rao of YSRCP.

Senior leader and former Speaker Kavali Pratibha Bharathi was also denied the seat. She had requested the Rajam seat for her daughter Greeshma, but Naidu did not accommodate her but instead announced the candidature of former Minister Kondru Muralimohan from Rajam assembly constituency.

In Srikakulam, former MLA Gunda Lakshmi Devi, a long-time party supporter, was replaced by the wealthy Gondu Shankar. In 2014, Naidu welcomed Giddi Eswari, Vantala Rajeshwari, and Uppuleti Kalpana into TDP after they won on YSRCP tickets. Despite working hard after losing the 2019 elections, they were denied tickets this time.

Giddi Eswari and Vantala Rajeshwari feel Naidu has deceived them. Tadikonda MLA Undavalli Sridevi, who joined TDP after winning on a YSRCP ticket, was also denied a ticket. Adireddy Bhavani, the sole TDP MLA winner in Rajahmundry last time, was denied a ticket in favor of her husband. Another TDP leader Kotla Sujathamma, who is vying for the Aluru seat, may also meet the same fate as other women leaders in the party.

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